Attack on CPM dist committee member

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 30: The CPI-M district secretariat committee member Mr Ambar Mitra claims to have been attacked by a group of Congress workers at Mirjapur More in Malda police station area early today, around 1.30 am.

Mr Mitra, who is also an election agent of Mr Sailen Sarkar, the CPI-M candidate for the North Malda parliamentary seat, said: “When I was returning from Old Malda Assembly constituency, a gang of 40 Congress workers attacked our vehicle. They tried to kill me, dragging me out of the vehicle and snatching the key of the vehicle from the driver. We managed to escape after fighting for at least 10 minutes.”

The injured CPI-M leader, Mr Mitra, got first aid from a district hospital and lodged a complaint against one Mr Mangal Sheikh, a resident of ward no 1 of Old Malda Municipality, and his associates. Police have yet to arrest the accused.

“Fearing their candidates' defeat, Congress workers are trying to attack CPI-M leaders out of frustration. The Malda MP Mr A H Khan Choudhury, contesting candidate for the South Malda Parliamentary seat, yesterday faxed a message to the Election Commission advising that they delay the election. I think he acted out of frustration,” Mr Ambar Mitra said.

“I came to know of the alleged murder attempt when I asked Mr Mitra about his forehead bandage this morning. I condemned the reported incident. If any Congress workers attacked him, police would take proper action. CPI-M workers are trying to capture booths, jamming and threatening our Congress supporters in many areas, such as Majampur in Kaliachak I block,” said Mr Krishnendu Choudhury, the English Bazaar Congress MLA.

The Malda Congress MP, Mr AH Khan Choudhury, faxed a message to the Election Commission demanding more Central paramilitary forces.

“He claimed in the fax that the district administrative officials did not provide Central forces based on the list of sensitive booths submitted to them. The fax also advocated that the election be put on hold in South Malda Parliamentary constituency until Central forces are supplied in all polling stations,” said Mr Krishnendu Choudhury.

“In many sensitive booths, the district election officials deployed state police and home guards where the CPI-M has already ‘captured’ polling stations yesterday night,” Mr Choudhury added.

The English Bazaar MLA and the Malda MP met the district magistrate Mr Sridhar Ghosh late last night, seeking the deployment of additional Central forces.